This invention relates to the manufacture of improved fabrication members, in particular, the manufacturing of fabrication members having properties to create more effective and efficient fabrication members.
Frame members, or fabrication members, are made from a variety of materials used for many different applications. Structural frame members, a subset of fabrication members, are used in applications where increased load is exerted in the structure. Such loads in buildings may comprise the gravitational load exerted by the weight of the building, the loads exerted by the manner in which the building is used, and loads exerted by the environment, such as from wind and seismic activity. Such loads in vehicles may be exerted by the weight of the vehicle, by the cargo carried by the vehicle, or the manner in which the vehicle is used, additionally, such loads may be exerted by collisions. In each instance, the structure has to be reinforced, compared to non-load-bearing areas, in order to maintain the structural integrity of the building or vehicle.
It is customary for the designer of structures to specify the load-bearing qualities which must be exhibited, at least, by each of the components comprised in the structure. Special attention is paid to the special load-bearing components. Typically, these load-bearing components are formed from a single strip of raw material, having relatively uniform thickness and substantially uniform properties across the entire component. Examples of such members, as used in buildings, include cold-formed steel metal studs used in walls, metal building purlins used in roofs and walls, or curtainwall members or large windows. Such structures have been customarily made from a single piece of metal strip material which is cold-formed through a series of mechanical passes in order to shape the strip into the desired structure. As a result, the previous cold-formed structural frame or fabrication members have a relatively uniform thickness throughout the entire structure, including areas of the structure which are non-load-bearing. These previous structural frame members, therefore, comprise more material than is necessary to perform their desired function.
These fabrication members often comprise of a web portion and two flange portions and generally have a C-shape, U-shape, or Z-shape. C-shape, U-shape and Z-shape fabrication members generally comprise two load-bearing flange members and a web portion rigidly connecting the flange members together. The load-bearing flange members must conform to specified dimensions for a given function and a given material from which the structural frame members are made. The web portions of a C-shape, U-shape, or Z-shape structural fabrication member transfer load between the two flange portions, and carries load as a structural element of the structural fabrication member, such forces and loads are experienced when the fabrication member, or structural frame member, is used, for example, as a beam or a column in a building. When a C-shape, U-shape, or Z-shape structural frame member, or fabrication member is used as a wall stud, the structural fabrication member bears an axial load, where the vertical forces are born directly by the flange portions and web portions. When used as a beam, the web portions, of the structural fabrication member, bear the majority of the shear forces exerted on the fabrication member.
Web portions are designed to withstand torsional or shear loads, or different load than the flange portions of the structural fabrication members. Generally, these structural frame members are formed from a single metal strip, web having the same dimensions and mechanical properties as the load-bearing flanges, providing for a lot of redundant material in the web portions. There is, therefore, a need for a structural frame member meeting the desired load-bearing and functional requirements, while also having a more effective and efficient structure.
Presently disclosed is a method of making a composite fabrication member having a shape selected from the group consisting of C-shape, U-shape, or Z-shape. The method comprises the steps of providing in a coil a first planar member having a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired first set of mechanical properties suitable to form a first base of a composite fabrication member; providing in a coil a second planar member having a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired second set of mechanical properties different from the first planar member suitable to form a web of a composite fabrication member; providing in a coil a third planar member having a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired third set of mechanical properties suitable to form a second base of a composite fabrication member; uncoiling and passing through accumulators the first planar member, second planar member, and third planar member, the accumulators allowing sufficient delay to permit for welding of end portions of coils to enable continuous flow of first planar member, second planar member, and third planar member; aligning side portions of the first planar member and second planar member and side portions of the third planar member and second planar member for attachment, attaching the first planar member, second planar member and third planar member together at respective side portions by induction welding to form a composite intermediate product as a continuum of first, second, and third planar members. In some embodiments the method further comprises the step of cold-forming the composite intermediate product to form a composite structural fabrication member having a shape selected from the group consisting of C-shape, U-shape, or Z-shape, with the first and third planar members flanges and the second planar member a web of the composite structural fabrication member. The first, second, and third planar members may themselves be a composite of one or more planar members as desired.
Some embodiments, the present method may produce composite structural frame members of a desired cross-sectional shape at 300-500 ft/min, or up to 800 ft/min or more, dependent in part on the size and desired cross-section shape of the structural fabrication member. In other embodiments, the present method may produce composite intermediate product at more than 200 ft/min. The bend formed in the C-shape, U-shape, or Z-shape, by cold-forming, or otherwise, may be situated in the flanges or the web as desired.
In some embodiments, the thickness of the second planar member or members is less than the thickness of the first and third planar members. The second planar member may be selected to provide a lightweight web for the composite structural fabrication member while providing a composite fabrication member with equal or greater load bearing specifications. In such embodiments, the second planar member may form the web between the first and third planar members which provide the load-bearing flanges for the composite structural fabrication member. The second planar member forming the web may be selected to have a reduced amount of material and meet a desired specification and shape. The composite structural fabrication member having a web portion may be configured to have a reduced amount of material and meet a desired set of specifications for a given desired shape and provide a more effective and efficient structural component. The composite structural fabrication members therefore having a reduced cost in starting materials and reduced weight, reducing associated transportation costs of raw materials, intermediary products, and finished products. Composite components formed by the present method are lighter, reducing the weight of the vehicles, reducing manufacturing expenses, and increasing fuel efficiency in operation of the vehicles. It is contemplated that the presently disclosed method may be utilized to make non-structural elements of vehicles and building as well.
In some embodiments, a lip may be formed on the first or third planar members to form a composite lipped C-shaped member, or composite lipped U-shaped member, or composite lipped Z-shape member, of the first, second, and third planar members. The first and/or third planar members may have side portions overlapping with side portions of the second planar member prior to the step of attaching by induction welding. In some embodiments, the welds may be continuous welds. In other embodiments, the welds may be discrete welds, making welding joints at discrete intervals along respective side portions and between the second planar member and the first and third planar members, respectively.
Each of the planar members comprising the composite intermediate product may have the same or different mechanical properties. In some embodiments, the first and third planar members may have the same mechanical properties, forming a composite structural fabrication member with flanges providing similar load-bearing and structural properties. Alternatively, the first and third planar members may have different mechanical properties, for applications where the load-bearing performed and structural properties required by the first planar member may be different from the load-bearing performed and structural properties required by the third planar member. This provides for flexibility in providing composite fabrication members, formed from the composite intermediate product, for a wide range of applications. Furthermore, the composition of the material used in the first, second, and third planar members may be different from each other, or, alternatively, the first, second, and third planar member may be made from material having the same composition. In particular, the first and third planar members may be formed from metal having a different composition to that of the second planar member.
The step of providing as coils first and third planar members may include selecting the first and third planar members to have mechanical properties to provide the desired load-bearing capacity and structural properties for the composite structural fabrication member, while reducing the amount of material used to form the composite structural member. Also, the step of providing as a coil the second planar member may include selecting the second planar member to have mechanical properties reducing the amount of material used to form the composite structural fabrication member, while providing desired mechanical properties of the composite structural fabrication member.
In some embodiments, the step of attaching the first, second, and third planar members into a composite intermediate product as a continuum of first, second, and third planar members may be performed with the step of cold-forming the composite intermediate product to form a composite structural fabrication member having a shape selected from the group consisting of C-shape, lipped C-shape, U-shape, lipped U-shape, Z-shape, or lipped Z-shape.
Also disclosed is a method of making a composite intermediate product comprising the steps of: providing as a coil a first planar member having a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired first set of mechanical properties suitable to form a first base of a composite fabrication member having a desired cross-sectional shape; providing as a coil a second planar member having a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired second set of mechanical properties different from the first planar member suitable to form a web of a composite fabrication member; providing as a coil a third planar member having a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired third set of mechanical properties suitable to form a second base of a composite fabrication member having a desired cross-sectional shape; uncoiling and passing through accumulators the first planar member, second planar member, and third planar member, the accumulators allowing sufficient delay to permit for welding of end portions of coils to enable continuous flow of first planar member, second planar member and third planar member; aligning side portions of first planar member and second planar member and side portions of third planar member and second planar member for attachment; and, attaching the first planar member, second planar member, and third planar member together at respective side portions by induction welding to form a composite intermediate product as a continuum of first, second, and third planar members.
In some embodiments, the present method may produce composite intermediate product of a desired cross-sectional shape at 300-500 ft/min, or up to 800 ft/min or more, dependent in part on the size and desired cross-section shape of the composite intermediate product. In other embodiments, the present method may produce composite intermediate product at more than 200 ft/min.
Presently disclosed is a system for forming a composite intermediate product by the herein disclosed methods. Additionally, presently disclosed is a system for forming a composite fabrication member by the herein disclosed methods.
The presently disclosed methods may comprise a further step of coiling the composite intermediate product for transporting. The coil of composite intermediate product may be transported to a cold-forming mill, stamping facility, and/or press-molding facility, or to other facilities, for further processing of the composite intermediate product.
The composite intermediate product may be adapted to be cold-formed in a cold-forming mill to make a composite fabrication member for buildings, vehicles and other applications. Such composite fabrication members may take the form of any suitable such, for example, C-shape, U-shape, Z-shape, or lipped versions thereof.
The composite intermediate product and subsequent cold-formed structural fabrication member may be desirable in a number of industries. Such industries may include, but not be limited to, the building, automotive, piping, plumbing, gutter, mechanical, and oil & gas industries.